


All the Runts

by burning_nova



Series: Kinkmeme Fills [32]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-01
Updated: 2013-09-01
Packaged: 2017-12-25 06:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/950049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burning_nova/pseuds/burning_nova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Odin didn't just take in Loki to Asgard at the end of the war. He took in all the little Jotuns.  He didn't imagine it would quite be like this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the Runts

Odin cursed when the herd of giggling and screaming half-naked toddlers crossed his path, cutting him off from his own wayward ward. The group of passing guardians and nannies glared at him for cursing so loudly. If he weren’t king he knows a litany of insults would have followed. Once they passed he took off. 

He caught sight of Loki’s naked rump around the corner and heard an excited squeal. He turned the corner and ran straight into his general. In a clash of armor the two adults fell. Odin glared and turned to see Loki with Sif and her fosterbrother. The children giggled and took off running. A flash of blond hair let him know Thor had joined.

When Odin had said yes to Laufey all those years ago he had not envisioned this chaos erupting around them. It happened like clock work whenever the parents came to visit. He had imagined more serious meetings with family discussing things civilly and improving relationships. 

Clearly he had not been a father long enough when he had made that deal because the children loved seeing their parents but hated dressing in their Asgardian finest. And despite consistent planning they always escaped, naked more often than not.

Odin blamed Loki, sweet, deceivingly innocent Loki for it all. When he had proclaimed that he would take in the little runts he had been surrounded by half his war weary nobles, most who were childless and wanting children. The babies would be a start to experience and possible means of promotion within the court. More than half of them had volunteered to raise them. 

And while they loved their fosterchildren no one loved the chaos surrounding them like this. On the bright side, he thought as he dove and caught Loki in his arms- Loki squealed as Thor grinned- this was certainly helping relationsips with Jotunheim. He had heard that at the official end of the War there were attempts to call the Jotun monsters. 

That had quickly died down. No one liked to have their children insulted. No one was seriously hurt in the ensuing fights but the property damage was quite extensive. How could anyone call these children monsters after all? 

Loki snuggled against him. Now take two.

**Author's Note:**

> After Odin retrieved the casket he meets up with Laufey and his captured court. Laufey might be defeated, but he's still clever and he knows that if he doesn't do something to force a proper peace, the Aesir will just take the casket and be content to let his people rot. 
> 
> So when Odin shows up to lay down the new law, Laufey has his secret weapon ready. He tells Odin that he knows it's customary for the Aesir to take war hostages and offers up adorable Runty!baby!Loki. Odin is unnerved that Laufey would just hand over his son, but Laufey explains that a little runt like Loki won't be able to survive on Jotunheim once the casket is gone. He also explains that runts are commonly born after a really harsh winter and that he expects that a lot more of them will be born now (only to die soon after). 
> 
> The Aesir might be a warrior race, but they're also a soft touch, especially when they're confronted with an adorable little Jotun baby. And that's why Odin agrees to raise Loki as his ward and that Asgard will take all the runty!Jotun that are born afterwards as refugees until relations have stabilized enough that he can safely return the casket. That means that the Aesir will be confronted with loads of cute little Jotun toddlers running around (which makes it hard to demonize them). It also means that there will be lots of contact between the Aesir and the Jotnar (because the bio parents will want to visit their kids frequently). Because relations are much closer they can actually start working on a sensible peace plan.


End file.
